He Qia
| He Qia | |
|---|---|
| Official of Cao Wei | |
| Born | (Unknown) |
| Died | after 228 |
| Names | |
| Traditional Chinese | 和洽 |
| Simplified Chinese | 和洽 |
| Pinyin | Hé Qià |
| Wade–Giles | Ho Ch'ia |
| Courtesy name | Yangshi (traditional Chinese: 陽士; simplified Chinese: 阳士; pinyin: Yángshì; Wade–Giles: Yang-shih) |
| Posthumous name | Marquis Jian (traditional Chinese: 簡侯; simplified Chinese: 简侯; pinyin: Jiǎn Hóu; Wade–Giles: Chien Hou) |
He Qia (died after 228), courtesy name Yangshi, was a high-ranking court and civil official of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period. He was known for his austere lifestyle.
He Qia was born in Xiping County (西平縣), Runan Commandery (汝南郡), Yu Province, which is in present-day Xiping County, Zhumadian, Henan. In the 190s, the warlord Yuan Shao sent ambassadors to Runan Commandery inviting the gentry and nobility to join his cause. Yu Province was an area of contention between Yuan Shao and his half-brother Yuan Shu, so He Qia feared staying, but he did not want to serve under a man such as Yuan Shao, whose ambition He Qia felt exceeded his capability.
Instead, He Qia brought his family south to Jing Province to serve the provincial governor Liu Biao, whom He Qia considered to be a kind lord without higher ambition. Crossing the Yangtze river, he settled in at Wuling Commandery (武陵郡) in present-day Changde, Hunan.
In the late 190s, Cao Cao gained control over parts of Jing Province, and He Qia found employment in his chancellery. In this early stage of his career, he spoke out against the elevation of officers based on their following an ascetic, deliberately impoverished lifestyle, and against seeing these men as more pure than officers who displayed their salary outwardly.
Cao Cao was created "Duke of Wei" (魏公) in 213, and He Qia served as an attendant member of his entourage. He unsuccessfully defended Mao Jie against rumours that Mao slandered Cao Cao. Correspondence on the matter between He Qia and Cao Cao survives and is carried by Records of the Three Kingdoms. Due to these rumours, Mao Jie was forced to commit suicide in 216.
He Qia received successive promotions under Cao Cao and Cao Pi, rising to the position of Minister of the Household, the most important personnel manager of the Wei court. Under Cao Rui, he was granted 200 taxable households in his marquisate, as the Marquis of Xiling District (西陵鄉侯).
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